What She Doesn't Know Won't Kill Her
by trinity6diversia
Summary: Every bounty hunter in the galaxy is out to kill Padme Amidala, which is no easy task when Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano are watching her back.  Things are about to get interesting, as Anakin finds himself caught between his heart and his conscience.
1. Chapter 1

Right now, I'm giving this story a T-rating, although later on, it may be changed to M, depending on how things go. {t6d}

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE<strong>

_The events of this section transpire only a few short days after the return of Ahsoka Tano from her imprisonment on Wasskah._

_(_The Clone Wars, Episode 3.22:Wookiee Hunt)

The halls of the Jedi Temple were silent. Occasionally, a thin murmur would be heard as two Jedi spoke together. But the halls were so vast that even a shout would seem but a whisper to anyone who chanced upon hearing it. News of the war often passed through these halls, for the Clone Wars were in full force in the outer reaches of the galaxy. But, despite these tidings which shook the very roots of the Jedi Order, the Temple did not change. The halls were always silent and steadfast, and no sort of calamity would ever mar it's peacefulness and calm.

Down one of these halls there now ran Ahsoka Tano, the sixteen-year-old Padawan Learner of Anakin Skywalker, newly returned from imprisonment on Wasskah, and urgency was in her stride. She was of the species of Shili, the Togruta, and three blue and white tentacles, lengthening over time, fell over her shoulders and her back. She was clad in her usual burgundy and gray attire, but now wore a dark brown cloak which flowed back behind her as she ran. The hood had been cast back, and those who looked into her eyes as she ran past them saw a fiery light in them, either of fear or determination, none could tell, for the Padawan hid her emotions well, having had long years of training in that art.

Yet, despite the murmur of surprise at Ahsoka Tano's passing, and the news she most surely carried, the halls remained silent, and were there a fly caught in the highest joists of that hall, he would have known nothing.

On, then, Ahsoka passed, until, nearing the end of the hall, she turned and slowed, and so entered a dim room. It was a small amphitheater of sorts, with stairs that led down from the doorway at which she stood, to a circular floor below, and all about the floor there rose tiers of seating, enough to hold at least a hundred Jedi. And in the center of the floor was a large holo-transmitter, circular also, and about three feet high. On it was being relayed a large-scale hologram of Felucia, the planet now at the center of the war, that had only recently been secured as a Republic outpost.

Several Jedi were standing about the holo-transmitter, speaking together in low voices, and none seemed to notice Ahsoka, yet all did, for her presence was known in the Force. She lingered at the doorway a moment longer, then, having located the one to whom her message was directed, she descended to the main floor.

The man to which Ahsoka came was tall, towering several inches above most Jedi, save a small handful who equaled him in height. He was very strong, and though he was a Jedi who could easily hurl things against walls with the Force, he often did such things using only his physical strength, which astonished many. He was light of hair, though it had darkened considerably through the years from the light blond it had been when he was a boy. And his eyes were a piercing blue, so powerful that every woman who gazed into them was smitten and would never recover. All, that is, save the women of the Jedi Order and, especially, Ahsoka Tano, who found the common reaction to be completely ridiculous, and unmistakably silly.

Yet this man, despite his good looks and the charm with which he held all things in balance, was hard and cold in his heart. For, although Jedi are not meant to remember those whom they have lost, _he_ does, and always does he regret his inability to save them. There is anger in him, and arrogance, and he is self-centered and reckless, and rarely does he follow orders. But the Jedi Council cannot deny him, for his methods are controversial and dangerous, yet they are effective when they work, and they _always_ work. So they are silent and grim, and punish him when punishment is due, and when it is not, so they sit and they say nothing. But inside they are proud of him, though they fear him, and the Dark Side surrounds him. And they call him the Chosen One.

"Master Skywalker," acknowledges Ahsoka, and the tall Jedi turns from where he is speaking with Master Kenobi, and smiles when he sees her. For though she is safe from her torment on Wasskah, he will never recover from their parting, nor the helplessness he felt, unable to save her.

Master Kenobi turned then to Ahsoka, and when he had inclined his head toward her, and she had mirrored the gesture, he returned his attention briefly to the tall Jedi Knight who had one point been to him as Ahsoka was now.

"Think about what I've said, Anakin," were the only words he spoke, then he subtly raised an eyebrow toward Ahsoka and turned away to join Master Yoda and Mace Windu. Ahsoka, taking the hint from his raised eyebrow, knew that she had just witnessed the end of a conversation long in the running, most certainly on the issue of Skywalker's emotions, which often, it seemed, got the better of him. And she knew, also, that she must tread carefully around any topic that might strike a nerve in her young Master.

This was no comfort to Ahsoka Tano, for the news she bore from the com-office would strike directly at the heart of her Master's problems. So as Master Kenobi stepped away with Yoda and Windu, so did Ahsoka's confidence lag, and momentarily did she consider ignoring the topic. But then her foresight caught her, and she realized that, were she to say nothing, he would still find out soon enough, then he might question her as to why she hadn't told him herself.

"What is the status on the front?" she inquired then, turning her eyes away from Obi-Wan and back to Anakin. "Is the outpost on Felucia still in Republic keeping?"

"For now," answered Anakin, leaning back on the holo-transmitter. "Grievous has disengaged and fallen back into Separatist space, probably to regroup. He'll be back, that's for sure. But by then, we'll hopefully have more troops on Felucia to hold the outpost. And if we can grab the rest of the planets in the system, we'll have a better shot of holding it longer."

"And Dooku?" asked Ahsoka warily, knowing the tension Anakin felt at the mention of the Sith Lord. He had not easily overcome his defeat on Geonosis over two years earlier.

"Missing," was his only answer.

"Missing?" demanded Ahsoka, her eyebrows narrowing. "_Where_?"

"If I knew _that_, I'd be long gone after him," said Anakin, pushing himself off of the table, and walked toward the stairs. Ahsoka stood in stunned silence for a moment, then following, hurrying to catch up to his long strides.

"What are you going to do?" asked Ahsoka when they'd reached the vast hallway.

"Me?" asked Anakin, raising an eyebrow at her. "I thought it was _we_. What are _we_ going to do? Or am I missing something?" Then his eyebrow narrowed as he sensed Ahsoka tense up and become uneasy. "Ahsoka?"

"No, I don't…" started Ahsoka slowly, then took a deep breath and turned to look at him. His gaze was bearing down on her. She was used to that stare. Strangely enough, it made her feel more comfortable when she was trying to tell him bad news. So she set her mouth determinably and spoke without an ounce of hesitation. "I don't think it's going to be _us_ on this one, Master. I'd go if you'd let me, but you won't. I know you too well. And for once I'd be glad to stay."

"Ahsoka," came the hard reply, edged with suspicion, and she knew he suspected something. So she set her face and decided to waste no more time. He needed to hear, whether he was ready or not, and she was the only one brave enough to tell him, because no one else knew the impact this news would have.

"Dooku is missing," observed Ahsoka slowly, folding her arms in front of her and glancing toward the floor in contemplation. "That's peculiar enough. But why?" She wasn't expecting an answer, and none came voluntarily from Anakin. "We wouldn't know. Or would we?" Then she glanced at him and her eyes narrowed. Then she stood up tall, as if her last bit of dialogue had given her some new strength, and she spoke, clear and hard.

"Senator Amidala almost died today," she said. "An assassination attempt was made on her life within the confines of the Senate Complex. It was well organized, but no part of it could have been carried out without risking the life of the assassin. And no assassin was found. Not even finger prints, let alone a body. It was clear that the assassin fled before it was carried out in full."

"Did you inspect the area?" asked Anakin, and his voice was strangely calm. He had said nothing while Ahsoka spoke, but she knew her master well enough not to be deceived. He was rigid, as if ready to spring, and anger boiled in the Force which surrounded him. The news had hit him harder than Ahsoka thought possible. But he was hiding it well.

"I ran through it with the investigators," she answered. "The clone bomb squad got there just as I left. They could tell you more, but I'm fairly certain there was no assassin on site when it happened. I could feel nothing in the Force but a very weak presence of someone foreign who had been there a while before. I suspect it was Dooku."

"Or one of his minions," agreed Anakin, then his anxiety got the best of him and he could hide it no longer. "What about Padme?" He stopped himself a moment too late, and Ahsoka raised an eyebrow as he corrected himself. "I mean… Senator Amidala. Is she alright? Was she hurt?"

"She's fine," cut in Ahsoka, knowing that her master was close to loosing it. She could feel something stronger than anger within him. Something she could not name. It was a ravaging feeling quite similar to the one she'd felt when she'd been with Lux Bonteri, long ago, before Wasskah. And then she realized that it had always surrounded Anakin, though her senses were not as keen as they were now, and therefore had failed to notice it. And her eyes narrowed further, because she knew it was a feeling he should not be having. A feeling that was forbidden in the Jedi Order.

But now Anakin's own eyes were narrowing, for he was not convinced in Ahsoka's answer to his question.

"She's fine," repeated Ahsoka, brushing aside her own suspicions for the time being. "She was badly injured, but nothing that can't be fixed. The last I heard, she was being transported under heavy guard back to her apartments." Then, into Ahsoka's mind there came a vision of Lux, and it sent tingles up her spine. Desperately, she brushed them aside and focused back on her Master.

"Captain Typho requests further Jedi intervention. I mentioned to him that Dooku might have been behind the assassination attempt. I suppose he thinks only Jedi would be able to tell for certain. He needs to know… for certain."

Anakin nodded, obviously deep in thought, his eyes flashing dangerously as he stood in deep consideration for a moment longer than usual. It was only a moment, though, for he was quick in his response.

"Has the Council approved Typho's request?" he asked, a strange glint in the depth of his eyes that would have been lost on Ahsoka if she hadn't known him as well as she did.

"They have," she nodded, then continued before Anakin had a chance to ask the question foremost in his mind. "I was there when Master Yoda gave his approval. I asked him if you and I might take on the mission, and he refused." The cold steel in Anakin's gaze was not lost on his Padawan, and she quickly made to dissuade his fears. "Master Obi-Wan and Master Plo Koon have been given that assignment, but you and I have been given another. We have been ordered to escort Senator Amidala away from Coruscant. And since the Council suspects Dooku of knowing too much for his own good, they advise us not to take her home to Naboo. We're under orders to protect her at all costs, and to take her someplace no one would think to look for her." She paused, and Anakin's tilt of his eyebrow spoke what she wouldn't say. She sighed. "Any great ideas, Master?"

"None," he answered.

Silence permeated for a moment, but with Anakin, a moment was just that; a moment.

"I suspect you'll want to do this on your own," said Ahsoka slowly, crossing her arms in front of her and staring away down the hall, so as to avoid her Master's burning eyes. "After all, they tell me you did it once before, and no disaster came of it on your end. If the Senator hadn't insisted on taking a day trip to Geonosis, there would be no disaster whatsoever."

"And no Obi-Wan," pointed out Anakin.

"True," acknowledged Ahsoka. "But, all I'm saying is, if you don't want me to go, I won't. And, to be honest, I'd prefer not to. I'd much rather face threats here, where I can fight them as a Jedi, then hide Force-only-knows-where and not be able to do a blamed thing about anything. And then I'd not want to be there when you loose your sanity from sitting around doing nothing all day. I don't want to force you into involuntary meditation again."

Anakin gave her a look. A rather blood-curdling look for a Jedi, but Ahsoka did not move. She'd sworn once before that she'd never let Anakin forget that experience, and he know it too.

"Have you forgotten, Snips? Jedi don't lie, and you just did. Of course you want to go with me. You're just afraid I'd start pacing like a caged beast and you'd loose your mind. Don't worry." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Senator Amidala can't stand it either. At least you'll have company, and who knows, it might just be possible for a Senator and a Jedi to take down the Chosen One. But only just. I still doubt you can." He gave her a smug look.

_Besides_, he said behind the Force shields around his mind. _If Ahsoka comes, it won't look as suspicious to the Council. I'd give anything for a chance to be away with Padme, all by ourselves. But Obi-Wan's already suspicious. I shouldn't draw any more attention._

"Very well, Master," answered Ahsoka. "If you want me to come, I'll come. Then I won't have to lie to the Council about how you disappeared in the middle of the night without telling me. And how you claimed it was for my own safety when we both know how believable _that_ excuse is. Especially after Wasskah."

"Yes, Snips. _Especially_ after Wasskah."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes and bit back a smile.

"Oh brother."


	2. Chapter 2

**I had to add something interesting to this section, so I hope everyone is okay with it. By the way, this isn't supposed to really follow the Star Wars timeline. It's a major A.U., and pretty random, but I want to give a different look that not many people have.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

Captain Typho was there to greet the two Jedi when their speeders docked on the veranda of the Senator's penthouse apartment. It had been decided, without any spoken word, for Anakin and Ahsoka knew each other's minds as clearly as they did their own, that two separate speeders would be taken on the first visit to Senator Amidala's apartments following her assassination attempt. Therefore, if anything unforeseen happened, Ahsoka could be sent to the hangers of Coruscant's wealthy citizens to prepare the Senator's ship for an immediate departure, and Anakin could keep an eye on the Senator herself. This setup, too, was silently determined, for Ahsoka knew her Master only too well, and dared not get in his way when he was riled.

Anakin was out of his speeder the moment it came to a stop against the veranda. Ahsoka hadn't even drawn hers up behind, and rolled her eyes as she imagined the various exclamations R2 would be saying now, were he there. Such things as not giving enough time to engage the parking break, grinding the gears, overheating the electrical circuits, and other such trivial points that even the Chosen One might miss if he were in a hurry.

Anakin was taking the stairs two at a time, from the outdoor veranda to the indoor, and Typho was barely given enough time to register his presence before he was there, striding toward him, Ahsoka scrambling out of her speeder in the background.

"Master Skywalker," acknowledged the Captain, trying in vain to hide his startled look, for it was unnerving to say the least when one sees a dark, deadly-looking Jedi Knight coming straight toward you, cloak billowing out behind him and eyes burning with… well, one might not wish to know if it had anything to do with the Senator.

"Captain," was Anakin's calm reply, and Typho was quickly taken aback by the walking contradiction standing before him. "I am here to inquire upon Senator Amidala." His eyes glinted for a moment, but only a moment. "How is she?" His voice did nothing to betray him.

_Oh, he's good,_ thought Typho before clearing his throat.

"Her injuries are not life-threatening," he answered, even as Ahsoka came to her Master's side. Typho acknowledged her with a quick glance and continued. "I suspect a full recovery, but for now, she can do nothing. They advise her to stay in bed until the swelling is reduced enough for her to walk with assistance."

"There's no time for that," said Anakin immediately, a steel edge to his voice, and his eyes suddenly went cold. "We have to get her out of here. Now."

"But Sir…" started Typho.

"They'll be back, and they know where she is," continued Anakin, completely disregarding the agitated Captain as he walked past him and toward the stairway up to the Senator's bedroom. "Leaving her here will be a risk I'm not willing to take."

"Master," said Ahsoka suddenly, and her voice was strong and held an edge to it that matched Anakin's. This, in itself, was a surprise, for that was one aspect Ahsoka had not adopted from her Master, and so he turned, stunned for only a moment, and Ahsoka took advantage of that moment. Her voice softened. "Master, please have patience. Surely you can understand where Captain Typho is coming from." It was not a question, and she gave Anakin no opening to speak, for she immediately turned back to Typho.

"The Senator's life is at risk, Captain," she said simply, and to Anakin's ears, it almost sounded diplomatic. "You say she cannot be moved, but it's possible that's just what they want. No level of security can keep the Sith from taking what they want from her, and as long as they are at large, they are dangerous. Master Skywalker is right. She cannot stay here." The Captain opened his mouth to protest, but Ahsoka was not finished, and so held up a hand to stop him. "It was you who asked the Council for help, and in order to receive that help, you must do things our way. Or we'll leave. Then the Senator will be in extreme danger, on your clock, Captain. Surely you can't think that will aid a promotion."

"That has nothing to do with it," protested Typho, but both Ahsoka and Anakin could see that he was breaking. "She is too injured to be moved, and that's final."

"As you wish, Captain," answered Ahsoka, inclining her head, then she sent a look toward Anakin and he understood it, though he hated what it made him do, and he turned and walked away from the stairs and back toward the veranda and the speeders waiting there. But they didn't get that far, for the Captain's mind could be manipulated even without mind tricks, and then Ahsoka's threat got to him, more in regard to the Senator's life than the thought of loosing a promotion, though both were important to him. And he called for them to wait.

"I will trust your judgment, Master Skywalker," he said, inclining his head toward Anakin. "And the Senator will too, that much I know. She requested a short audience with you, right before you came, in private."

Anakin inclined his head, hiding any indication of joy on his face, then gave Ahsoka a reassuring nod and turned in the direction of the Senator's bedroom, knowing there was a slight spring in his step and not caring in the least about it. Up the stairway he walked, with purpose but not with haste, until he it curved behind the wall and he could no longer see Typho or Ahsoka, then he leapt into a run and was at the top in moments. His eyes were everyone at once, checking a million different things that had become habit over the two years he had spent making secret visits to this certain apartment.

The first thing Anakin sought out within the Force was Padmé, whom he found, fast asleep in their large bed. Then he scanned for any other type of living creature, particularly security personnel and handmaidens. None were in the room, though Anakin could sense two guarding the doors and the rest congregated in the sitting room beyond. C-3PO was a slight tremor, scurrying here and there, assisting where he was least needed.

But the main thing was that he was alone in this room with Padmé, and even as he scanned for other living beings, he was assessing her injuries with the Force. They were grave from what he could tell without seeing them, but they were causing her no pain, due to medication, he had no doubt. Her leg had been shot and was useless until it healed, plus she'd suffered several bruised ribs when she'd been hit by falling debris. Various cuts and bruises mottled her gorgeous face, but Anakin didn't care, for her cheeks were pink and not white, and her breathing was steady. For a moment, he stood transfixed, watching the rise and fall of her chest beneath the blankets, then he shook himself and walked over to her on silent feet.

Jostling her as little as possible, Anakin stretched himself out on the other side of the bed. For a moment, he thought back to before they were married, when Padmé had always slept in the center of the bed. Now, the right side was hers and the left was Anakin's, and even when he wasn't there, she never went on his side, unless she awoke in the night and missed him too deeply, at which time she would stretch out across his side of the bed and hug his pillow to her, as if he were there with her. But this was the way of things, and Anakin smiled at the thought, knowing that every time he came home late, his side of the bed would always be there waiting for him to occupy.

Then a new thought entered Anakin's mind, that Padmé was going to kill him if she saw his boots on her fresh blankets, and he quickly lifted his feet and scanned his eyes over them to make sure they were clean.

Then he turned on his side and slipped both arms around Padmé's sleeping form, making sure to hold her at the hips so as to avoid hurting her bruised ribs, and brought himself close to her. And she was awake that very moment, snapping to alertness before Anakin had even set his head down beside hers, and she twisted in his arms, ignoring the pain of such an action in her haste to look at him again.

"Anakin!" she squealed in a whisper, both in response to her surprise and her feigned dislike at being awakened, and then she reached up with her free arm and wrapped it around the back of his neck and brought his lips to hers. A moment later, Anakin pulled away, ever so slightly, and whispered in a voice bristling with emotion, "Padmé." Then their lips met again and everything else no longer mattered.

Anakin didn't remember how long they lay there, cherishing each other's presence and not able to get enough of it. All that mattered to him was Padmé, and she was everything. For a long time they simply savored each other, both physically and emotionally, until Anakin felt himself letting go of his last ounce of self-control. He could feel the Force slipping away as he let it go, and he knew he shouldn't, so he pulled away, quickly, startling Padmé.

"What is it?" she whispered, tracing a finger up his arm until it reached his face, where she cupped his cheek in her palm.

"There will be another time," he answered, keeping his voice low to hide the disgust within it. Padmé stared at him perplexedly for a moment, then nodded as she realized what he meant. There was security everywhere, and even they would be bold enough to mistrust a Jedi. Plus, though she knew not for certain, she guessed that Ahsoka had come as well, and knew that if Anakin pulled his presence from the Force, as he always did when they were in the throes of ecstasy, his Padawan would know it, being in so close of quarters. Regardless, the timing and the place, though perfect on cold, stormy nights when all anyone wanted to do was curl up by a warm fire, was not perfect for now, when everyone was on edge. Including, Padmé had to admit, herself, and more importantly, her husband.

"When?" she asked, her voice barely audible, for Anakin was so close she had no reason to speak any louder.

"Soon," he promised, tracing his own finger down her side and across her hip, then he brushed his lips against her forehead, pressing butterfly kisses down her cheek and to her neck, before he pulled away and sat up. He eyed the door darkly for a long moment, then a soft laugh graced his ears and he was stunned, as he always was when Padmé laughed that special laugh she saved just for him.

"It won't bite you, Ani," she whispered, and he looked back at her. She lay there, her dark hair splayed about her pillow in soft curls that were only too often hidden by some ridiculous head-dress. Everything about her held an air of calm, one that had grown through the years she had been married to Anakin. She often needed that patience to get him to wind down after he returned from the front lines. She was beautiful to him, more beautiful every time he looked at her, and he loved her, for she calmed him.

But that calm quickly turned to worry, for even as Anakin looked at her, he noticed her soft hazel eyes glint of something he could swear was nervousness. He blinked. It was still there. Yes, it was nervousness, and anxiety and… reluctance? He rose and walked around her side of the bed, even as he stretched out with the Force. He never invaded her mind or her thoughts, for those were her own, but he could clearly see her feelings in the air that surrounded her. And yes, it was there, anxiety the most of them all. And it just made him worry more. He sat down on the bed beside her.

"Angel?" he asked as she turned toward him, and he reached over to brush a curl of hair away from her face. She tried to smile, but swallowed hard at the effort, knowing that he guessed her anxiety, and was worried to death over it. Could she blame him? Knowing that she couldn't say a thing to dissuade his fear bit her harder than anything. "What is it?"

"What are we going to do, Ani?" she asked, still in a whisper, and he got the distinct impression that she was trying to change the subject.

"Well, I was thinking…" he started, then stopped himself. "What do you mean, 'what are we going to do'? That should be clear enough. We're going to have you explain this." His voice was harder than he'd wanted. He didn't want to yell at her, but when Anakin Skywalker gets worried, well, Anakin Skywalker _really_ gets worried. He had to force his voice down and throw in a good deal of calmness that he didn't even possess. "What's going on?"

"Ani," Padmé whispered, and he realized she was on the verge of tears, so without thinking, he reached down and pulled her up into his arms. And she started to cry, and as she sobbed, she cried all the more, for the pain in her ribs was only aggravated. And Anakin spoke to her in a soft voice until she could pull herself together at last. Then she drew away from him enough so that they could stare into each other's eyes, and opened her mouth again to speak.

"Ani, please don't be angry with me," she whispered as Anakin brushed the damp hair away from her face, and he tried to smile, but couldn't seem to. And when Padmé spoke again, she spoke quickly, as if she should be explaining herself a little more. "I know now is a terrible time. There's so much going on, and this will only make things worse. There will be no end to the trouble we'll get for it, but if you don't mind not living in a big house with servants, we'll make do perfectly fine. I know _I_ wouldn't mind, just so long as you're with me. Maybe we could run away to Naboo and just escape everything, and they wouldn't know, and we'd be together and not strung up by politics and the war and…"

Then Anakin put his fingers to her lips to silence her, for she was clearly getting worked up, and looked into her eyes, and when he dropped his hand she was silent. Then she averted her eyes and swallowed, then looked up again and took a deep breath.

"I'm pregnant."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for taking so long to update this. I had to recover from NaNoWriMo. If you guys haven't read that story, please do. It's called "For Every Moment" and it's right here on FF.**

**Anyway, I'm continuing to screw with all your minds. The last chapter was totally random. I threw stuff in because I thought it would be cool. Now it's done. And if you think about it, the events of this chapter will play a huge part in shaping the story later on, so just beware.**

**A big thank you to all my readers, and everyone who has commented. That means a lot to me. And I'll try to throw a new chapter at you every once in a while. This one only took me about an hour to write. I know it's short, but things are going to speed up soon, so just bear with me. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

It was with a start that Anakin Skywalker returned to awareness. He wasn't used to this sort of situation. No, he was used to most of it. The "lying on the back, staring up at the ceiling, taking measured breaths" part of it was familiar. But there never was sun streaming in through Padmé's bedroom window when he was in his position. It was usually still dark, save for the lights of the city flashing by through the window. He was always gone before the day started, so as to avoid contact with any of Padmé's attendants.

Now he was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, taking measured breaths and freaking out because the sun was streaming in on top of him.

Then he remembered _why_ he was there, and bolted upright with a frantic, "Padmé!"

The movement was a bit too fast, because he must have hit his head on the way down and the motion made him dizzy. He half collapsed, grabbing the bed for support while he pressed a hand over his eyes. He gritted his teeth in annoyance as his head swam, knowing he had to regain some sense of calm before Ahsoka arrived, then heard a great burst of laughter, as if several people had been holding it together but now couldn't help it.

Puzzled, Anakin looked up. Padmé was still where she'd been, in bed, half sitting up, only now she was laughing, a hand pressed firmly to her ribs as the mirth sent pain shooting through her body. But it was clear she couldn't stop, or even wanted to, and the pain that was resulting was building the color in her cheeks. And at the foot of the bed stood Ahsoka and Typho, the former laughing so hard that she'd sunk down on the bed, bent over double to catch her breath, even as she continued to be consumed by the hilarity of it. Typho didn't laugh, but the corners of his mouth twitched and Anakin swore a few of the muscles on his neck were a bit more prominent as usual. The Jedi Knight frowned at the guard and Typho made quick work of vacating the premises, not so much for self preservation as to get away from them before his own merriment took over.

"Oh Ani!" gasped Padmé. "The _look_ on your face. It was _priceless_!"

"And what was it you said, Padmé?" choked out Ahsoka as she tried in vain to catch her breath.

"I told him I was pregnant," laughed Padmé, and then Anakin realized he'd been fooled, and fooled hard. He gritted his teeth all the harder, trying to think of something to get Padmé back with. He couldn't. He didn't think it was possible.

"And he fell for it!" gasped Ahsoka, then doubled over again.

"Calm yourself, Snips, before you hyperventilate," growled Anakin, not at all amused. "_That_ will give the holo-reporters something to talk about."

"That, and trying to explain why the 'Hero with no Fear' fainted dead away over a practical joke. You really should try to see these things coming, Master."

Anakin shot her a look, a hard look, one he rarely used, much less on a friend, but one Ahsoka knew meant she should shut up and get out, or else.

"Geez, Master," said the Padawan as she stood up and started for the exit. "It's like you can't even admit that what she did was funny, and so well placed." Here, Ahsoka shot Padmé a grin and the Senator burst into another fit of laughter.

"Go on, Ahsoka," she gasped out. "Before the doctor comes in and chews me out for breaking my ribs all over again."

"But the _look_ on his…"

"Out!" cried Padmé, falling on her back and curling into a ball as the laughter continued. "Don't remind me!"

Then Ahsoka was gone, still laughing, and Padmé was finally able to control her own laughter enough to catch her breath. Then she groaned and remained in a tight ball, her body at last registering the pain she'd involuntarily caused it.

"That was cruel, Padmé," hissed Anakin, sinking into a chair beside her bed. He didn't dare tease her further, though, because he could sense her pain through the Force link they inevitably shared.

"I'm sorry, Ani," whispered Padmé, and there was a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I know," he said, then silence reigned for a while before Padmé finally unwound herself and turned on her side to face him. Her eyes laughed at him, though her face was a grimace.

"It wasn't true, then?" he dared to ask, and she shook her head.

"No, it was a joke."

"Then why say it? You know how mean that was. And you might have made some people think some things we don't want them to. How did you explain it to Ahsoka? How can _I_ explain it?"

"I told her it was a joke," answered Padmé simply. "I told her that you were very grim and serious when you came in, and I wanted you to loosen up. She agreed with me. She said she might have done the same thing numerous times if she'd thought of it."

"You women," sighed Anakin, standing up and coming over to sit on the bed beside her. He stared at the floor for a minute with unfocused eyes, then reached over and took Padmé's hand, giving it a squeeze. "Are you sure you're not?"

Padmé nodded, knowing that Anakin might actually have been looking forward to a baby. She almost hated telling him it was a joke. Almost. That look on his face had made it all worthwhile, and it was all she could do not to burst into laughter again.

"Alright," said Anakin, and that was all he said for a moment. Then he stood up, extricated his hand from hers and turned to leave. Padmé watched him go, her face slowly falling sad, then he stopped and she saw him turn back, a cruel look on his face, as if an idea had just come to his mind.

"Don't get too comfortable, Senator," he said. "I'll be back. Tonight. For my bounty. You can't expect to fool a Jedi and get away with it."

And then he was gone.

Padmé uttered a sigh of relief and shook her head.

"Men," she muttered, then lay back down, staring at the ceiling. A few minutes later, she heard the Jedi speeders flying away from her apartment, and a few moments after that, she could no longer sense Anakin in their Force bond. She knew he could still detect her presence, but that was it. Then she released a breath which she'd been holding, though she hadn't even known it.

"It was just a joke," she whispered up at the ceiling. "A joke. There was no truth in it. None."

Then she paused and glanced over at the side of the bed where Anakin usually slept, which was now vacant. Her hand passed over the sheets as if she could feel the strength of their intimacy just by doing so. How she yearned for his arms around her. More than she cared to admit. More than she ever had. Then she sighed and turned away, glancing out at the traffic that flew past her apartment, wishing one of those speeders was his, coming back to her.

"Who am I trying to convince?" There was no answer, but then, she wasn't expecting one. So she answered. "Myself, I guess." Then the full strength of reality hit her and she covered her face with her hands. "Holy shit."


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the short chapters. I was working on a video this evening and thought I'd get some more done on this story while it was exporting. Things will speed up, trust me. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

"Master, I'm curious about something."

Anakin was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Ahsoka talking to him, and immediately put up his guard. He could almost guess what she was curious about, and though he'd made as if the issue were a simple thing that could be easily ignored, it had troubled him all day. He wasn't about to let her notice that. His stubbornness wouldn't allow it.

"What is it, Snips?" he asked, trying to make his voice sound neutral as he shifted his position in the driver's seat of the speeder he was piloting.

"Why did she do that?"

"Why did who do what?"

"Senator Amidala. Why did she joke about being pregnant to _you_? That's something I don't quite understand."

Anakin cleared his throat to buy time, realizing only after the fact that that might not have been the wisest thing to do. He shifted again, lifting his elbow onto the edge of the speeder's window and loosening his clenched fingers from around the steering bar. It wouldn't do for Ahsoka to see him any more uncomfortable than he already was.

"It's complicated, Ahsoka," he answered simply, knowing he had to say _something_, and failing miserably in the excuse department.

"How so?"

_Damn it, Anakin,_ he thought. _Why do you always have to give her openings like this?_

"Well…" he started, and glanced sideways at his Padawan to see her staring intently at him. He knew he couldn't easily lie now. "Well… it might not be easy for you to understand. Senator Amidala and I have been friends for thirteen years. We met when things were tense within the galaxy, and it just so happened that we were in the very center while that was going on. I hadn't seen her for ten years after that, and maybe I shouldn't have met her again, because look what happened. The Clone Wars started, and now we're in the center of things once more. Our entire friendship has played out during war, and because we both know each other so well…" He paused, trying to think of something that wouldn't make it sound like he loved Padmé. "Well, it's like you and I, for example. We know each other so well that we know whenever the other is troubled about something. War, politics, the food in the mess hall. And you know how I am, when you're worried. I like to joke around and try to alleviate the burden a little, right?"

"Right…" said Ahsoka slowly, and Anakin was afraid she'd try to protest, but when he glanced at her again, he saw her deep in thought. "So what you're saying is essentially that you and the Senator know each other so well that, like today, when you showed up all worried because of the assassination attempt, she hit you with a curveball that you hadn't seen coming. A joke all around, but still something that would catch you off balance and make you realize that fretting wouldn't get you anywhere."

"Exactly."

"But why a pregnancy joke?"

Anakin paused, caught in another loophole. If he acted like he didn't know, which he didn't, he might give Ahsoka the impression that Padmé was hiding something. He knew Ahsoka would try to uncover the truth, and knew exactly where that would lead. So he had to act like it was an ongoing issue between him and Padmé, this matter of pregnancy and how lightly it could be taken. It was a lie that went against his nature. He didn't have sex with Padmé for the mere purpose of having sex, but because it was a time of deep intimacy between him and the woman whom he loved. And if a child came of that encounter, he was fine with that. He would have _liked_ that. He knew Padmé would as well. Their love was strong enough that a child, to them, would be a gift from one to the other, to be cherished as much as they cherished each other. But then Anakin realized he was getting too deep. Ahsoka didn't need _all_ that information.

"Think about it, Snips," said Anakin, suddenly noting how dry his throat was and hoping it didn't show in his voice. "If you wanted to put me off balance, make me forget my own troubles for a while, what would _you_ do? You wouldn't play a practical joke on me or leap on me from a high place, would you?"

"No…"

"Why?"

"Because that happens to you all the time on the front lines. It wouldn't be anything new. It would piss you off big time, but you wouldn't get really freaked out."

"Exactly. Now imagine you're me for a minute. I have the deepest respect for women who deserve that respect. You, for example. And Padmé. Women who don't throw their stuff around, who work for the good of the people and don't try to get away with things. Now imagine that woman, let's say _you_ for now, comes to me and tells me you're pregnant. How do you expect me to react?"

"You'd be livid. You'd demand to know who got me pregnant and then rip out his guts."

"Exactly. The galaxy would be short one fool-hardy bastard when I got done with him. I wouldn't care if you _did_ love him. Now imagine that same situation associated with today. I burst into Padmé's apartment, about to rip the head off an assassin, because that's what I do, and she springs this pregnancy thing on me, because she knows it will catch me off balance. And it did. I immediately forgot about the assassin and was plotting ways to screw up the life of one very unfortunate man. Because some _idiot_ had the audacity to take advantage of a woman whom I respect and admire. And yes, I don't give a damn if she loves him, I'd still screw him up. Do you see where I'm coming from?"

"I guess so. Either way, it worked. I've never seen you faint before, much less have that sort of murderous look on your face. You sure forgot about that assassin in a hurry. But I still don't understand why you got so mad over it. You've been in a blue funk all day."

"Yes, well, that's the other end of the spectrum. You tell me you're pregnant, get me plotting ways to rip the bowels out of the man responsible, then start cackling your head off and tell me it's all a joke. Do you _expect_ me to take that well?"

"But it sure gets your mind off other things," laughed Ahsoka, and then she couldn't stop. Anakin felt the corners of his mouth twitching, but he wasn't about to give in to her laughter. The mere thought that Padmé, his wife, had laid that joke on him kept him sober enough to avoid of the plague of laughter which had taken over his speeder.

And then the issue was forgotten, at least in Ahsoka's mind, and there were other things of importance to talk about.

"I really appreciate you taking me to the theater, Master," she said as soon as the fit of mirth had passed. "I tried to get Lux to take me, but he's too busy in the Senate and didn't have time. The ninny. I thought he'd jump at the chance."

"And now he's missing out," answered Anakin simply. "Any man who throws away the chance to take a beautiful girl as yourself out on a date is an idiot."

"It wasn't going to be a date," said Ahsoka quickly, a little too quickly, because Anakin shot her a look as if he knew exactly what she was trying to cover up. "I just thought he'd want to because he's nice like that."

"And?"

"And nothing. We're just friends."

_I've heard _that_ before_, thought Anakin to himself, smiling grimly, but he let the matter pass.

"I've got my eyes on you, Snips," he said as they pulled into the parking area at the theater.

"And mine are on you, Master," answered the Padawan smoothly.

"And that's supposed to do _what_ to intimidate me?" he asked as he got out of the speeder and came around to Ahsoka's side.

"Everything," she answered, jumping out of the speeder in one smooth motion. "Because I know where you live."

"Ah, right. And which one of us holds the keys to the other's Knighthood? Please, remind me…"


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm falling all over myself with inspiration right now. What did I say? Things are picking up speed. Anyway, I love the way this story is falling together, and I hope you do too. This chapter was just something I threw together over the course of a couple hours. Hope the fast writing of it doesn't annoy anyone. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

Anakin couldn't settle himself down. The performance was decent enough. Ahsoka had good taste when it came to the arts. She wasn't exactly into the romantic stuff, but when her life revolved around war, she wasn't interested in the action-packed performances either. Anakin might have actually enjoyed the theater this time, but on this day, for some reason, he wasn't meant to relax. It just wasn't on his schedule.

"Chill already," hissed Ahsoka when Anakin squirmed in his seat, and he gave her an apologetic look, then tried to do as she said. It wasn't easy, and when he squirmed again, Ahsoka gave him a jab in the ribs, to which he protested a bit too loudly, because several of the others in the audience turned and gave him a look.

"Sorry," he mumbled, then kicked Ahsoka's leg. She did the right thing and ignored him. But when he glanced at her to see if there was any sort of emotional reaction on her face, his eyes found themselves scanning the audience, over to the theater box he knew Padmé owned for her private use. He wasn't expecting what he saw: Padmé, in attendance with two of her handmaids and Captain Typho, looking less than perfect, but still healthier than she had before.

"Shit," swore Anakin, and Ahsoka turned on him with a stunned look on her face. "Sorry, Snips. I need some air."

"What…?"

But Anakin was already bolting for the exit. He could do that in theaters. As a Jedi, he moved so quickly and quietly that no one would notice.

Once outside, he bent over and put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. It wasn't that he really needed to catch his breath, it just looked appropriate. He really just needed to clear his mind. And once it was clear, he stood up again, puzzled as to why he was standing alone, outside the theater. It wasn't like he was concerned if Padmé saw him with Ahsoka. Ahsoka was like a sister to him, Padmé knew that. Maybe he was just stunned to see her there at all, after she'd been in bed the last time, only a few hours earlier.

Anakin didn't have time to dwell on such matters, for even as he did so, he felt a familiar presence approaching. Well, not that familiar. He'd never met the boy. But he knew who it was because he could read the boy's mind, and it was all he could do not to bolt forward and wring the kid's neck after catching the sort of stuff he had. He caught himself, though, because he realized how stupid that would look, for him, as a Jedi, to wring the neck of a Senator, especially one the likes of which Lux Bonteri was.

"She's in there," said Anakin when he looked up to see Lux striding toward him. He motioned a the exit he'd just gone through. "She wasn't too happy that you made her go with me. Old people. They tend to embarrass everyone else."

"Then tell me quick," said Lux, stopping just before going through the doorway. "If you're out here and she's in there, what exactly should I be expecting? Cause if I'm going to be bored stiff for the next couple hours, I'd rather take my chances hanging out with the old person who brought her here."

"Don't press your luck. This particular old person can still kick your ass. I don't care if you _were_ busy, Ahsoka wanted you to take her and you didn't. Point blank. Now get in there and apologize before I make you." But Anakin didn't actually mean it. He just wanted to see Lux squirm, and was a little disappointed when the kid managed not to.

"Wish me luck," said Lux, then with a stolid expression, he strode through the doorway and disappeared into the darkness of the theater. Anakin rolled his eyes and leaned up against the wall, suddenly feeling like the females in his life were getting out of hand. Padmé's mere presence was probably a ploy of hers to turn him on. And now Ahsoka was on a date, of sorts. Even though Anakin knew he should be kicking Lux's ass even now, for showing up at all. Ahsoka definitely didn't need any sort of romance in her life. If the Council knew, both her and Anakin would be out of there in a heartbeat.

Anakin closed his eyes and took measured breaths to clear his head. If it were up to him, he'd be in Padmé's private box right now, as her husband, and to hell with the rest of the galaxy. It was an issue which often plagued his mind. He knew he shouldn't blow their cover, and when they'd gotten married, it seemed easy enough. Now, after nearly three years, it was getting harder and harder to keep from throwing caution to the wind. He hadn't seen Padmé in far too long, and now, when they were so close, they were further away than before.

Anakin opened his eyes and sighed. He knew he should check on Lux and make sure the kid wasn't screwing with Ahsoka. With another sigh, he pushed himself off the wall and slipped into the theater, taking up a spot near the doorway where no one would see him. Lux was there, in the seat Anakin had vacated, and he and Ahsoka were carrying on a whispered conversation, their heads close together. Anakin narrowed his eyes, but made no move to separate them. Then he glanced over at Padmé's box.

Once his eyes adjusted to the dark, Anakin was able to see Padmé a bit clearer. She appeared as if she were enjoying herself, though every once in a while she'd look around the theater. She knew the type of seats Anakin would be able to afford. Jedi didn't get paid for being Jedi, but whenever they returned from the front lines, the Council always gave them a bit of credits, for their time. It wasn't much, and definitely not enough for Anakin to buy his own pad, but he'd been able to buy a speeder and could now afford a touch of luxury. Such as taking Ahsoka to the theater or taking Padmé out to a restaurant for a change, which was what he'd done a few months earlier. It wasn't an easy task, but Padmé had enjoyed it, and Anakin was bursting with pride at being able to pay the tab for the first time in their married life.

Now Padmé was looking for him, of that Anakin was certain. He suspected Padmé had come in contact with Lux at some point that day, or Ahsoka had told her what was going on, and somehow she'd concluded that Anakin would be there. That, or she just wanted to come, but then, why was she obviously looking for him?

Then Anakin got an idea. It was a nasty idea, one he'd considered before, but never had the audacity to play out. He'd always thought of it at the Senate building, while Padmé was in conference and he was standing by. But now they were at a theater, and the performance had just shifted directions and it was dark. It was perfect. So he stretched out his feelings toward her Force signature and waited.

It wasn't long before Padmé felt his presence and shifted in her seat, suddenly aware of how close they were through their mind contact. Anakin had her, then, almost at her mercy. And he started to send thoughts her way, not too extreme, because he wasn't sure how inept Ahsoka was with catching Force exchanges. But extreme enough, because then Padmé started to look very uncomfortable. He sent thoughts her way of pleasure and intimacy, and of him kissing her all over, and even an image of them making out in his speeder on the way out of the theater. Then, when things started to get more intense, he forewent the images and just used emotions, pleased that he was able to manipulate the Force that well. And even more pleased when he saw Padmé's jaw clench and she started gripping the arms of her seat. He knew she wouldn't loose control, just so long as he reined _himself_ in and stopped sending her such erotic images and emotions. It was so funny to see her in such an uncomfortable spot that he started chuckling to himself, and then couldn't bring himself to be turned on by it.

_A good place to stop_, he thought to himself, then stopped relaying the images and watched while Padmé relaxed in her seat, a very unamused look on her face. Then he sent her an image of where he was and saw her eyes travel toward him, though he knew she wouldn't be able to see him where he stood.

_That's enough, Ani_, he heard in his mind, and knew Padmé had found him and was going to kill him once she got the chance. _I need to talk to you and Ahsoka._ The sudden shift in topic was so overwhelming that Anakin didn't quite know how to respond. Then:

_We'll meet you in your private lounge._ Because, of course, Padmé had private rooms and offices all over Coruscant. The rich often did.

_I'll be there_, she replied, then Anakin saw her rising from her seat, offering her excuses to her handmaids and beckoning for Captain Typho to come with her. Then Anakin turned to see that Lux had put his arm around Ahsoka's shoulder while he was preoccupied, and deemed the time appropriate to dash the little Senator's hopes. He strode silently and menacingly down to where they were and lifted up Lux's arm, returning it to the confines of the young man's own seat, and wishing all the while that he could twist the arm and hear it snap. That might have given him pleasure.

"Getting a bit too fresh, aren't we, Lux?" he commented, then turned his attention away from the boy and toward Ahsoka. "We need to talk."

"What about?" she asked, concerned that he had an issue with her conduct.

"There are things I need to educate you on." Then Anakin took her arm and pulled her up from her seat, offered a curt nod of his head toward Lux, and was escorting his Padawan from the theater. When they were outside, he made sure to speak first, before she jumped to any conclusions.

"Padmé is here. She needs to talk to us."

"Why didn't you just say that? Now Lux thinks you hate him."

"Here's a bit of news, Snips. I _do_ hate him."

"Oh come on, Master, he's not a bad guy."

"Anyone who takes after you _is_ a bad guy. I don't care what he says to the contrary."

"It's not like he was doing anything with me. Unlike a certain man I caught sending erotic images to some girl in a more than flirtatious manner." Anakin had to force his feet to continue forward, even though his face was frozen in a stunned expression. "Seriously, Master, how can you be the Chosen One if you can't even cover up your mental flirting? Honestly." And she rolled her eyes.

"Ah, but you can't prove who I was flirting _with_." He sure hoped he wasn't overstepping his bounds and she _had_ caught the exchange more than he would have liked.

"No, I give you credit for that part. It was probably some more-than-willing prostitute. That, or a very unfortunate woman who can only make love through mental contact because no one would get close to her for physical contact."

"Hardly," scoffed Anakin.

"But it's not cool either way, Master. You shouldn't do that to people." Then her face lit up, and Anakin realized she'd been leading up to something all along. "And now you can't get on my case, because nothing Lux did this evening could even come close to what you did. So there!"

"You little wretch," hissed Anakin, but he couldn't help but laugh, because Ahsoka was getting more sly every day and it pleased him to see it.

Then they were at the door to Padmé's personal lounge, and even as they came to it, Padmé herself approached, with Captain Typho following. Padmé glanced at Anakin, but quickly averted her gaze, a bit of color rising in her cheeks, then reached toward the keypad and deftly entered the passcode. The door opened.

"That will be all, Captain," she said, turning to Typho. "Anakin and Ahsoka are here now, so you may return to the performance."

"As you wish, my lady," answered Typho, bowing, then nodded toward Anakin and returned in the direction they'd come.

Padmé said no more, but entered the room and flipped on the lights, Ahsoka following and Anakin coming in last. Ahsoka had already surveyed the room, but Anakin made sure to locate all exits, including one that appeared like it went to the speeder deck. An easy escape if they had need of it. Or if they were interested in evading the security that inevitably followed Padmé.

"How did you like the performance, Ahsoka?" asked Padmé, pouring three glasses of wine, but only picking up two. She handed one of the glasses to Ahsoka as she spoke.

"It was alright," answered the Padawan. "But I've seen better. What did you need to see us for?"

Padmé did not answer immediately. She took her time picking up the third glass, making to give it to Anakin, but pulled it away from his reach when he went to take it from her. Anakin scowled, like a punished schoolboy, then said as seriously as he could, "I'm sorry." Only then would she give him the glass, which he downed in one gulp.

"I hear tell Lux Bonteri came after all," said Padmé, turning back to Ahsoka. "He's a good man. You should admire what he's been doing for the Republic. Few would be brave enough to do what he's done after leaving the Separatists."

"Yes," answered Ahsoka. "He and I have our differences, but he's trying to do what's right, and I can't deny him that."

"He is a wise man to have on our side," agreed Padmé. "You should not let him go so lightly."

Then Ahsoka nodded, and before anything else could be said, Anakin stepped forward, suddenly serious.

"Alright, Padmé, what's going on? You sounded more than a little concerned."

"For understandable reasons, Anakin. Or have you already forgotten?"

"Never," he answered simply, but without smiling. "But there was more to it. I could tell."

"Yes, there was more," she replied, setting down her glass and eyeing both him and Ahsoka in turn. "The Separatists know I'm here."

"Okay…" said Ahsoka slowly, drawing out the word. "We already knew that."

"Yes, you knew that," agreed Padmé, inclining her head. "But it wasn't until a couple hours ago that I realized the full extent of circumstances. Count Dooku has stationed spies everywhere. They know my every move, know every person I meet with, and know every word that passes my lips. And it gets relayed back to him faster than any of my guards can catch. I am in a tight spot, and any moment now, his assassins will be back to finish me off. That's why I came to the theater. Because I knew he wouldn't dare assassinate me in a place where many prestigious Senators might be, and I knew I'd find you both here and ask your advice. Or your help, as it may be." She took a deep breath, and though Anakin wanted to say something, he realized she wasn't quite done, so he let her finish. "I am under the impression I should leave Coruscant, sooner rather than later."

Then Anakin forgot what he was going to say and his head snapped around toward Ahsoka. To his surprise, he saw his Padawan looking calm but contemplative as she slowly nodded.

"I understand, Padmé," she said. "And I would agree with you. Wouldn't you, Master?"

"Of course," he answered, then turned back to Padmé, suddenly realizing why Ahsoka was so calm. Freaking out would get them nowhere. "It won't be easy. They'll know you have escaped, and they'll be hunting for you. But we can promise to get you out of here, perhaps tonight, and if it's within Ahsoka and my power, we'll see you to safety."

"Thank you, Ani," said Padmé, sighing deeply as if she were really quite relieved, and Ahsoka made no mention of Anakin's pet name, because it was clear Padmé was calmed by Anakin's reassurance.

"Then why are we still here?" asked Ahsoka suddenly, throwing up her hands and looking indignantly at Anakin. "If we have to get her out of here, then let's get her out of here."

"Right," said Anakin, then took all three glasses and strode over to a window, which he opened, then proceeded to throw the glasses as far away from the building as possible, to reduce the changes of them shattering on anyone's head. He did the same thing with the wine bottle and anything else either of them might have touched. The two women stared at him as if he were a moron.

"What?" he asked, irritated. "They have prints. And if they know Snips and I were here, they'd be after us in a heartbeat. Now let's _go_ already!"

Then Padmé was punching in the passcode for the door that would lead to the speeder deck, and Ahsoka was escorting her out, with Anakin once more taking up the rear, careful to glance around the room before they left.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

No sooner had Anakin left the room, than Padmé, seeing where they were headed, slammed on the breaks. Anakin, caught unaware by the sudden loss of momentum, ran directly into her, reaching out instinctively to catch her before she fell to the ground. He gritted his teeth in annoyance, then saw Ahsoka staring at them and remembered that his hands were lingering a bit longer than they should on Padmé's small waist. He pulled them off so quickly that you might have thought Padmé was something burning him.

"What about Typho?" demanded Padmé, whirling on Anakin as he took a step back from her. "And my handmaids? We can't just leave them."

"If we alert them, we run the risk of alerting the spies who are watching you. If we haven't already. Someone might have noticed you missing from your box."

"They'll be killed!"

"No they won't," growled Anakin, his irritation increasing, then he grabbed Padmé by the arm and started pulling her after Ahsoka. She tried to get away, but once Ahsoka's back was turned, Anakin gave his beloved wife a wicked grin and dipped down to kiss her on the neck. That stopped her from protesting, but she still tried to dig in her heels, and after a few rounds of this, Anakin had had enough. He plucked her off the ground and threw her over a shoulder, where she then proceeded to hit him in the back with her fists. It was useless, and after a few moments, she gave up, propping her head up with an elbow in Anakin's shoulder blade, completely annoyed.

"There now, Senator," acknowledged Anakin. "Better than walking, isn't it?"

"Prepare for a life of misery," she answered, and the tone of her voice was bored. Then she tried to squirm in his arms, but he wouldn't let her. "You're hurting my stomach."

"Here we are," said Ahsoka just then, and Padmé craned her head around to see that they had arrived at the speeder Anakin and Ahsoka had come in. She squirmed again, the discomfort in her stomach increasing, then Anakin gently let her down on her feet, where she promptly bent over, clutching at her torso.

"Are you alright, Padmé?" asked Ahsoka, rushing to her side, and Anakin might have fretted even more if he hadn't sensed something within the Force. Danger was fast approaching. And any delay would prove fatal. So he didn't delay, but rather scoured over the hull of his speeder to see if anyone had dropped a tracking device on board. From here on out, the success of their mission would be determined by whether or not they remained undetected.

Examination complete, Anakin returned to find Padmé back on her feet, though one hand lingered on her torso and her face appeared strangely white. Ahsoka's own face was worried, but when she saw Anakin, she immediately masked any hint of emotion and helped Padmé into the speeder while Anakin took his place in the driver's seat. Ahsoka chose to sit in the rear seat so Padmé could be in the front. There was no reason for that, besides it feeling appropriate in some way.

Off they went, and they received only bored nods from the men minding the front entrance to the parking bay. Then they were within Coruscant, and while it had been dusk when they'd arrived, now it was pitch black, or would have been, if it weren't Coruscant. For purposes of secrecy, Anakin chose to mingle with the crowd instead of disregard the traffic rules like he usually did.

"I need some things from my apartment before we leave," said Padmé simply, and she hoped it had registered in Anakin's mind, though she couldn't tell. His jaw was working, but he said nothing.

"We should return to the Temple as soon as we can," said Ahsoka, leaning forward from the back seat. "The Council will need to hear about this, and that's the only place Padmé would be safe. They can help us plan how we're going to get out of here."

"Agreed," said Anakin, then Padmé shifted, and even without a Force connection, Anakin could tell she was very uncomfortable, but not physically. It was more the emotional aspect of something that was leaving her on edge. Like she was hiding something from him that she didn't exactly want to come out and say. Finally:

"Ani?"

"Yup."

"I have something to tell you."

"Yup."

"Something important."

"Keep talking."

"Don't _say_ that?" The edge to her voice made Ahsoka sit back, almost amused, but also curious.

"What? I say stuff like that."

"Not to me."

"No…"

"I just need to talk to you."

"Then talk."

"Only if you listen like an intelligent human being."

"I _am_ intelligent."

"Then act like it!"

"Padmé! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Ahsoka had to try as hard as she could not to start laughing in the back seat. She knew whatever was going on was important, but it amused her whenever Anakin and Padmé started arguing in their abrupt sort of way. Almost like two old married people. But now it seemed like the argument was at an end, either for good or ill, Ahsoka couldn't tell. Then she got the very uncomfortable feeling like she wasn't wanted in this conversation.

"Okay, you two," she said, leaning forward again. "If this is something between the two of you, I'd prefer to just stay out of it. Master, if you could drop me off at the Temple, then you and the Senator can return to her apartments and I don't have to listen to your altercations. Okay?"

"No, Ahsoka, you're not in the way," said Padmé gently. "I just… I guess I'm a little on edge right now. Your Master is driving me crazy, but aside from that…" And she chuckled to herself.

"Yes, he tends to do that," agreed Ahsoka with a smile.

"And Ani, I'm sorry for snapping your head off like that. I know how you are, and I had no reason getting flipped out over it. So, forgive me."

Anakin might have said something along the lines of, "Always," but then he realized Ahsoka may be a little more perturbed than she already was by that, so he resorted to a simple nod, which probably gave Padmé the idea that he actually _was_ angry at her.

"I don't know how to tell either of you this." She chuckled suddenly. "I haven't even told Threepio. But I suppose that's for the better. Either way, it's not easy. I'm notoriously private about my personal life." Anakin said nothing. "You see, I'm…" She took a deep breath and at last turned to face Anakin in full. "…I'm pregnant."

Silence reigned. Ahsoka glanced between Anakin and Padmé. No one moved.

"Okay." That was all Anakin said. The speeder didn't even jerk. If he was surprised, he sure didn't react like he had earlier in the day.

"No, I'm serious," said Padmé, and Anakin didn't doubt her. In fact, the moment she'd started their short little argument, he'd known. He knew what she was going to say, and he wasn't surprised. He was… relieved?

"Okay." Ahsoka began to wonder if that was the only word Anakin was capable of.

"Could you stop saying that?" demanded Padmé, her old irritation returning. "I'm trying not to go into hysterics here, and it's like you don't even believe me!"

"And why would I, Padmé?" asked Anakin finally, turning to look at her. "You threw this on me once before. Why should I believe you now?"

"Because I was scared shitless earlier," she said without hesitation. "I trust you with my life, that's why I needed to tell you. Then it got to that point, and the way you reacted, I just couldn't take it seriously. I needed a trial run."

"I'm not your trial run, Padmé." But he didn't sound bitter.

She didn't say anything, and after a moment, Ahsoka gained enough of her wits to go back to the beginning and try to sort things out.

"Alright, Padmé, even if _he_ doesn't, _I_ do. I'm happy for you. I think you'd be a great mother. But we really need more information. Who the father is, for example…"

"I can't tell you that."

"Well, can you tell me if he's going to be in this child's life at all?"

"He might be."

"How much?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't talked to him about it."

"Then he doesn't know?"

"Well…"

"If he doesn't know, will you tell him?"

"He wouldn't believe me."

Anakin coughed indignantly, but Ahsoka ignored him and continued her questioning.

"How long have you known about this?"

"I've suspected for a couple weeks now. But nothing definite. I didn't take a test. After the assassination attempt this morning, the doctor kind of figured it out in a roundabout way. I told him to keep quiet. I don't know if he will. But he confirmed it for me."

"So you knew you were pregnant when you sprung the joke on Anakin?"

"No, not then. The doctor came back and told me right after you left. Until then, it was just speculation. He was concerned, and that just made me even more concerned. I should have taken a test earlier."

"Then why joke about it?"

"Because I thought it was funny."

"And it _was_ funny," cut in Anakin. "So let's leave it at that, shall we. But the main question I have concerns the father. What do you suspect _he_ will say when he hears about this? How will he react?"

"I have no clue," answered Padmé. "So far, I've not gotten much of a response from him."

"That's not an answer."

"Fine then. You want my speculation? I'll give it to you. I think the father of my child will be ecstatic when he hears the news. More than that, he'll be as scared as I am, and more protective than he already is. He'll end the war if he has to, just to see that his child enters the world in the best possible way. He will be a good father, of that I'm certain. What do you think?"

"If I've even met the man." He gave her a sideways look. "I'd say you're right."

And it was lucky Ahsoka was buckled in, for at that moment, Anakin yanked the steering bar so far to one side that if the speeder hadn't had a top, they would have been left to plummet downward to a definite end. Padmé nearly wretched, and Ahsoka wasn't feeling too good either, but when she looked up, she saw that Anakin had changed their trajectory. Instead of heading toward 500 Republica, he was heading toward the Temple. A decision she would have made long before, but that she was glad was finally being made now.

"We're taking you to the Temple," said Anakin. "Then Snips and I will go back to your apartment. What is it you needed there?"

"Some important papers," answered Padmé. "Taking clothes would be too conspicuous, even a few. I suppose you're going to kill me off for your ploy to work?"

"That's the plan. But I don't think taking even a few papers would be a good idea. Someone might find that out."

"The papers would be more deadly in the hands of the Separatists."

"Alright, then tell me where to look for them, and I'll get them out of there. Snips, get onto the classified links and find us a ship. Something small, for the three of us, plus Artoo and Threepio. Price isn't an issue. Sorry, Senator, we're using your money to pay for it. But make sure it's not too extravagant. And you know my preferences in regard to speed. Make sure it's safe."

"Will do, Master."

"Tonight will be interesting," said Anakin then, and a sly grin lit up his face. "Get ready."

"Oh brother…"


	7. Chapter 7

**How's this for awesome? I've nearly doubled my usual chapter length! So prepare yourself for a very long, very eventful chapter. Why the change? Well, because I hate it when I get chapter notices in my inbox and then discover that the chapters are short and boring. I like the ones that take me 15 minutes to SKIM OVER!**

**So, I was supposed to be working on a video tonight, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, so I decided to write instead. I've gotten the most amazing reviews for this story, and I'm grateful to every single person who has taken the time to comment, favorite, and just be so nice about this. You've made my writing worthwhile. :)**

**And so, without further ado, here you go...!**

**{t6d}**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

Obi-Wan was waiting for them when they landed at the Jedi Temple. Ahsoka had contacted him earlier, and he had wasted no time at all. He'd browsed the classifieds of Coruscant, even as she had, and when they landed, he had the perfect ship drawn up on a datapad for Anakin to inspect. He ran over the specs, then sent Ahsoka to contact the current owner. She'd grown into quite the negotiator while under the tutelage of Anakin Skywalker, and he trusted her to have the situation well under control.

That was better than he could have said.

Just as Ahsoka disappeared, Master Yoda, closely followed by Master Windu, decided to make an appearance. Suppressing a rolling of the eyes, Anakin acknowledged them with a bow, then, ever the gentleman, introduced the Senator. She needed no introduction, for the Jedi had often turned to her aid during the length of the Clone Wars. She was their closest supporter.

"Senator Amidala, a surprise this is, though not ungrateful we are, that sought to visit us, you have." The diminutive Master Jedi's eyes betrayed nothing but kindness, with an ounce of pity, for Anakin was sure the little green creature knew everything that had transpired at the theater.

Master Windu was slightly less forgiving, at least to Anakin, who he shot with a deadly cold stare before returning his attention to Padmé.

"Indeed, it is a pleasure, Senator," he said, inclining his head toward her, his voice strangely calm after the glance he'd given Anakin.

"Thank you, Master Jedi," answered Padmé, ever the diplomat, and she inclined her head in turn to the two Jedi before her.

Then she swayed, her face turning quite pale, and Anakin hesitated a second longer than he might have in different company, so much so that Obi-Wan had enough time to leap forward and catch her before she fainted dead away.

"Thank you, Master Kenobi," sighed Padmé, passing a hand over her forehead as she took a shaky breath. "It seems today has gone all wrong, and it's finally making it's mark on me. I should really stay away from the company of young Jedi Knight's. They tend to bring the bounty hunters swarming in my direction." And her own direction turned toward Anakin, in a fleeting sort of way, and though her face was still pale, her eyes were laughing at him.

Anakin grimaced.

"Yes, well, you've discovered the way to stay alive," answered Obi-Wan grimly. "For future reference, at least." He sighed dramatically. "Too bad I can't follow your advice. I'm the unfortunate soul who has to deal with him. And that young Padawan, who is turning out just like him."

Then Padmé laughed, and turned again to the other Jedi in their company, the taller of which answered before she could speak.

"Forgive our momentary lapse in hospitality," he said. "It seems you are still not well." He glanced to the man holding her upright. "Obi-Wan, would you escort the Senator to one of our guest quarters? Have a doctor look over her as well." Then back to Padmé. "If there is _anything_ you need, please don't hesitate. You have had quite a day, Senator, and though we have yet to force a full description of events from Master Skywalker, we soon will. Until we have decided what is to be done, you will stay here and recover."

"Thank you kindly, Master Jedi," acknowledged Padmé, then glanced back at Anakin. "Don't work him too hard. He might have just saved my life."

"Thanks for the help," mumbled Anakin, then they were gone and he was left alone with Yoda and Mace, both of which stared at him for a very long moment. Just as he was about to open his mouth to explain his actions, though, Ahsoka's yell echoed through the hanger and he turned sharply to see her running toward them. For a moment, he was afraid they'd lost the ship, then she started to speak, in the breathless sort of way that comes from vigorous running.

"Master Skywalker, forgive my intrusion. It seems I have some bad news."

"Not now, Snips."

"No, this is important," she insisted, then held a datapad up for him to read. "The theater we were just at has been evacuated. One wing destroyed by a bomb. They don't say which wing, but you only have to guess."

Anakin grabbed the datapad and skimmed over the police report that Ahsoka had pulled up. His fingers turned white as they gripped the device, and when he was finished, he looked up at Ahsoka, who was doing a phenomenal job of not looking scared to death.

"Shit," he swore under his breath, then handed the datapad back to her and ran for the nearest console, where he proceeded in sifting through the police reports which were pouring into the Temple's database. He knew such actions would not be accepted by the Jedi Masters watching him, but he didn't care. He had no love for Lux Bonteri, but Ahsoka did, and nothing she said was going to change that.

It took him longer than he would have liked, but eventually Anakin found some police footage of the explosion victims being carried away. Sifting through it, straining his eyes, it was pure luck which revealed the contorted face of the young Senator, being carried away uncovered on a stretcher. Anakin sighed a breath of relief. If he'd been dead, they would have covered him. That much was certain, and that was all they could go on.

"He's alive," he whispered, knowing that Ahsoka was standing by his elbow. "At least, I think so." He turned to face her, keeping his voice at a whisper. "What did the guy say about the ship?"

"It's still available," she answered, keeping her own voice low. "The price is ridiculous, even with the haggling I did, but we'll be using the Senator's money, so I guess it doesn't matter. I said we'd come by to pick it up tonight."

"Right, we'll go together. It'll be safer that way. Get something to eat, then run by the transportation office and see if they won't give you the keys to a new speeder. The bounty hunters probably know which one we left in. I'll give you half an hour."

Ahsoka nodded and quickly turned away, but Anakin's hand on her shoulder stopped her and she was forced to turn back, at which time he saw the tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

"We'll run through every hospital within range of the theater, Snips," he said, his voice gentle. "We're bound to find him somewhere."

Then she was gone, and Anakin was hurrying back to Mace and Yoda, who, it seemed, had not moved since he'd left.

It was time to explain some things.

Master Windu was not pleased with the explanations Anakin gave. There was no mention of Padmé's pregnancy, or of Lux Bonteri. Anakin wasn't willing to divulge such matters, and his avoidance techniques seemed to work. Master Yoda quirked an eyebrow suspiciously, but Mace appeared as if he sensed nothing. For that, at least, Anakin was grateful.

Still, the explaining had gone on longer than he'd originally wanted, and when he was finally allowed to leave, he had no time to waste. He'd be late if he went to find Padmé. He'd have to trust that Obi-Wan was taking care of her. And he was starving, but he dared not venture to the dining halls, for fear he'd get caught up in a conversation with some fanatical youngling. That was nice most of the time, but not now.

Then Ahsoka was striding into the hanger, waving a pair of electromagnetic keys in one hand, coupled with a mug of caf, and holding a tray in the other, upon which was precariously placed a second mug of caf and several breakfast scones. Anakin felt himself relax and he couldn't help the grin that came to his face. When she got to him, she didn't even have to say anything. He took a mug of caf, a scone, and the keys, and with a nod of his head, followed Ahsoka, still carrying the other items, toward a speeder hooked up to the charging braces along the hanger wall.

"Is it any good?" she asked, a look of distaste on her face as she ran a critical eye over the speeder.

"It's fine, Snips! You should stop being so picky." But his eyes were all over the piece of scrap in front of them, and he wasn't pleased. With a shrug, he decided that was as good as they came. They turned better after he'd fixed them up. _That_ thought was made as a very pleased smile came to his face.

"Alright, Master, enough bragging, let's get this show on the road."

And with that, the Master and Padawan were on their way, and what a sight they were leaving that hanger, each with a mug of caf in their hands, Anakin steering the speeder with his knee while juggling a scone in his other hand. It was comical, if not reckless and dangerous. Not that they cared. They'd just gotten back from fighting in the Clone Wars. This stuff was easy.

The first stop was Padmé's apartment, which was surrounded by layer upon layer of security, from her personal guards to the city's police forces. No one was taking any chances. As far as anyone knew, Senator Amidala was dead, but there were so many uncertainties that it was possible she wasn't, and therefore her apartment, logically, would be her place of refuge… and the assassins next stop.

Because Anakin and Ahsoka had been put on the Senator's protection squad earlier in the day, they were allowed access to the apartment without so much as a finger raised. No one was concerned about two Jedi, especially the two that often were referred to as one on the Holonet. The reporters were so used to running stories about Anakin and Ahsoka teamwork that they just called them, simply, "Anisoka". And it was easier that way. For them, at least. Anakin hated the name, for obvious reasons. It made it seem like he was in a relationship with Ahsoka. The mere idea made him cringe inwardly.

Typho was at the apartment when they got there. He looked like he'd seen some pretty rough combat in the time since they'd last met. He held one arm close to his body, like it couldn't stand moving it, and there were cuts and scrapes all over him, some bleeding profusely. He was doing his best to maintain pressure on his wounds while ordering the security forces around. No one noticed Anakin and Ahsoka, or else no one registered anything by their presence.

But Typho did.

The minute he laid eyes on the duo, Anakin swore the man would have fainted if Ahsoka hadn't left forward to keep him upright and slap him silly to keep him awake.

"Ma… Mast… _Skywalker!_"

"Yeah, it's me, Captain." Typho opened his mouth, but Anakin kept talking. "Padmé's safe. We didn't stay there too long after you left. I didn't feel good about that situation. It was lucky, I guess. She's in safe keeping."

Typho opened his mouth again, probably to ask where they'd taken her, but the look Anakin gave him shut him up in an instant. He was reduced to a slow, understanding nod and a furtive glance at Ahsoka, who's gaze mirrored her Master's.

"I will trust you, Master Skywalker," he said after a moment. "Mind you, I'd rip anyone else's head off to know where they'd taken her, but… I think I'll pass this time around."

"Wise of you," commented Anakin dryly, then he brushed past them and headed for Padmé's sleeping chamber while Ahsoka forced Typho to sit down so she could mend his injuries.

Anakin made short work of the closet area. He figured, if Padmé was honestly pregnant, and he had no real reason to doubt her, considering their last meeting a couple months before, then the clothes she had now would no longer fit, given time. Padmé had dictated a list to Ahsoka on their way to the Jedi Temple, and now Anakin followed that list, marveling at how much stuff one woman could need.

In the end, two suitcases were filled to the brim with essential clothing items, and a third was quickly being filled with everything else, mainly from the fresher and Padmé's personal office, which was directly off her bedroom. Padmé had lain down a list of all the documents she needed, and though Anakin had greatly protested the removal of _any_ item from her apartment, he had finally relented.

The treasure trove which was Padmé's personal life was not as big a treasure trove to Anakin Skywalker. He knew _everything_. She didn't hide a thing from him.

"Master?"

Anakin turned from where he was pulling datafiles from the drawers in Padmé's desk to see Ahsoka standing in the doorway. She looked confused, and was holding up a small black number which Anakin immediately recognized.

_Oh boy…,_ he thought to himself, quickly turning away to avoid the swarm of memories. He tried not to wonder if Padmé had worn that little black piece of sexiness the night she'd conceived their child.

"Master?" Ahsoka was insistent, and just as confused as ever. "Why does an esteemed Senator need _this_? I sort of put it beneath Padmé to wear something so… ugh…"

"Come on, Snips," said Anakin, trying to sound casual about it. He was done sorting the datafiles and now carefully carried them into the bedroom where the half-full suitcase was. "I can almost bet Senator Amidala isn't such an esteemed Senator when she's alone with some guy. Probably the guy who got her pregnant. No, _definitely_ the guy who got her pregnant. She might choose to get sexy once in a while, but I wouldn't put being a whore in her line of sight. She's too smart for that."

"But not smart enough to use protection?"

"Honestly, Snips. Who are we to question the Senator? If she wants to do that, it shouldn't be our problem, right?"

Ahsoka shrugged and threw the little black number into the suitcase with the datafiles.

"Hey!"

"What?"

"When on earth is she going to need _that_, Ahsoka? She's pregnant for gosh sakes."

"She'll give birth."

Anakin shuddered. "Yeah, well, she probably won't fit in it again anyway. Put it back."

"Nah, I'm sure she'll wear it again."

Anakin gave her a very hard stare.

"I'm being optimistic, Master."

"Alright, enough optimism, did you fix Captain Typho up?"

He was changing the subject. She knew that. And she was smart enough to go along. With a smirk, she watched as he closed the third suitcase without removing the little black number. Clearly, _he_ was the one being optimistic.

They left the apartment in record time. "Record" being minutes instead of hours. Anakin distantly remembered the day after Padmé's near-assassination attempt, when the Council had assigned him to take her to Naboo. When the entire thing got started in the first place. And how he'd gotten so tired of watching them load stuff in the suitcases that he'd fallen prone on her bed and she hadn't stopped him. And how he'd actually fallen _asleep_ while they were still messing with the luggage. Ridiculous.

But now they were on their way. And Anakin made sure to order Captain Typho to the nearest hospital. His injuries were making him turn cross-eyed. Or maybe that was the whiskey he could smell on the man's breath.

Their next stop was the spaceport, where the owner of the ship they wanted was waiting for them. Anakin had found an old dress tunic in the back of Padmé's closet that she'd once given to him. It made him look like a prince, or worse, a diplomat. He wore it now, to cover up the fact that he was a Jedi. Ahsoka had borrowed one of Padmé's casual overcoats. Now she actually looked like a girl. It made Anakin feel slightly uneasy.

The ship's owner was clearly intoxicated when they got there. Apparently, he'd forgotten the hassling he'd done earlier with Ahsoka, and how much it had dropped the price of the ship. Anakin hassled some more, but couldn't get it all the way back down. Eventually, he gave up and just paid the guy what he wanted. Padmé had more than enough credits, and thankfully, they were all in hard form, which meant there was no paper trail. The man seemed to like that quite a lot, and actually sobered up for a moment to throw a few extra tidbits into the deal.

In the end, Anakin Skywalker was the proud owner of a beautiful ship, complete with all the bumps and bruises of a well-used and often-abused vessel. It was dirty, it was ugly, but it was solid. And the hyperdrive was in perfect condition, as if the owner were more interested in maintaining the working parts than the cosmetic parts.

Regardless, as they were securing the docking bay around their new vessel, Anakin made it quite clear to Ahsoka that he wouldn't be satisfied until he'd gone over every inch of it. And he _definitely_ wouldn't be trusting Padmé's life to it.

"What's this, Master?" asked Ahsoka when he was done explaining, and she had that look in her eyes which told Anakin to beware. "Who's the picky one now?"

And he shot her a look. One that he'd been working up to ever since she'd opened her mouth to speak.

From the spaceport, they started for the largest hospital in the area, and the one the police reports said most of the victims of the bombing raid had been taken to. It was chaos when they arrived, and in order to avoid notice, Anakin and Ahsoka remained in the clothes they'd worn to the spaceport. They approached the front desk and asked after Lux Bonteri. At first, the woman refused to tell them, "for reasons of security", but it wasn't long before they wrung the truth from her… or rather Ahsoka used the Force to scan through the list herself… and Mister Bonteri was located.

It took another search to find the room they'd put him in, but once there, Ahsoka was not to be held back. She burst through the doors, with Anakin following at a slower rate, thankful that there were no doctors in the room. Lux was awake, looking like he'd just regained consciousness, and he looked like shit. Or so Anakin thought.

"Lux!" cried Ahsoka, running to his bedside. "How do you feel?"

"Like a bantha just sat on me," was the grim reply, and he winced as he tried in vain to sit up.

"Hey, unless you've ever had a wall fall on you, I don't expect any talking from you," said Anakin, coming up behind Ahsoka, aware that he was probably intimidating the poor kid to death.

"Master!" scolded Ahsoka, sounded a lot like Padmé when she was mad. Anakin ignored her, choosing instead to brush past her and look down at Lux with something that might have been a look of concern.

"How soon will they give you clearance to leave?"

Lux shrugged, grimacing as he did. "I doubt they'd notice if I slipped out. But not for another week if I follow their orders."

"That works," said Anakin, then turned to Ahsoka. "The ship will take about a week to get in working condition. Coruscant is turning into a dangerous place, and I think it's high time we stop ignoring it. Something's wrong. I can feel it. We need to get Padmé out, and it's possible Lux could be a victim if we're not careful. If he's willing, I suggest we take him with us."

"Lux?" Ahsoka turned to the young Senator on the bed, who shrugged again.

"As long as no one kills me, I'm game."

"Well, that was easy," said Anakin, and turned away, but a bit too quickly, because it immediately turned Lux suspicious as to why his comment had been ignored.

"Hold it there, Master Jedi," he said stiffly. "I'm _not_ going to be killed, right?"

Anakin turned slowly back to him, a look on his face that made Ahsoka roll her eyes in annoyance. Then Anakin spoke, and his voice sounded like there was absolutely no room for negotiation.

"Lux, my boy, let me tell you something. There are two types of people in this galaxy. Those who follow the letter of the law; and those who don't. Those who follow the rules are _boring_. They don't get shot at, they don't get messed with, they… are… _boring_. Then there's me. I don't follow the rules, and I get shot at, and you know what? I can't see any other way to live life. And you know who else is like that? Snips here. And Senator Amidala. And so, you see, when all three of us are together, that's breaking the law times three, and three times as many assassins trying to shoot us down. So, either you stay here, get shot at because everyone else _thinks_ you're a bad guy, or you come with us and get shot at because they _know_ you're a bad guy. You make the choice."

There was a moment of silence while Ahsoka glared at Anakin and Lux contemplated his words.

"Do I get a blaster?" was the only question.

"Yup, and you'd better know how to use it."

"Then I'm in."


	8. Chapter 8

**Another chapter! I wanted to get them on their way. I can't stand Master Windu staring at me all the time. My philosophy is to get as much distance between him and me as possible. So, hopefully, we'll not be seeing too much more of him. Cross your fingers. (No, Mace isn't a bad guy, he's just sort of annoying to me.)**

**And to answer the question I got from sniperdude351** **in regard to how many chapters I intend for this story, the answer is simple. I don't know.** **I usually just write until I'm done writing. I've not actually planned on a certain number of chapters. So I guess I'll just keep going until I run out of cool stuff to write about. :)** **And trust me, there's a lot of cool stuff coming up.**

**Until then, here's the newest chapter. It's shorter than the last one, but how long does it take to leave Coruscant anyway? (No, this chapter is _not_ boring... only if you want it to be.)**

**{t6d}  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

It took a week to prep the newly dubbed _Glacial Skies_. And nearly as long to convince the Council that leaving Coruscant was the only way to keep Padmé safe. Anakin doubted they would have gotten anywhere if it weren't for Obi-Wan, who did his part to help convince the Council. They finally relented and Anakin was allowed to make ready the ship for departure. He never asked, but he didn't have to. Obi-Wan told him.

The excuse Obi-Wan gave was simple. He'd convinced the Council that such a mission would test Anakin's abilities on any number of things, primarily how to avoid becoming attached to a Senator who was carrying the child of another man. For Padmé had told Obi-Wan of her pregnancy, and he in turn had told Master Yoda, who had used his wise wordings to twist the story enough to convince Master Windu without mention of pregnancy. Thus Anakin was given permission to escort Padmé, with the help of Ahsoka, off planet, and no mention was made of the finer details.

Due to the delay, Anakin had a shorter amount of time to prep the _Glacial Skies_. As it were, he had no need for a full week, so there was no huge uproar when the day of their departure came, for the prepping process was already complete. The _Glacial Skies_ was confirmed stable, and no one at the Coruscant spaceports were any the wiser. Anakin's skill in stealth wouldn't allow it.

On the day of departure, all was chaos. Their objective was to keep things as quiet as possible, so the other Jedi wouldn't grow suspicious, and as a result, there was chaos.

Anakin had avoided Padmé for the entire week, through fear that if he'd gotten a moment alone with her, their entire plan would be history. He'd waited that long, he'd wait longer. He'd have to. His only comfort was, when they got to wherever they were going, there was bound to be an errand he could send Ahsoka on so he and Padmé could get a moment alone. But for now, it was not to be. So he didn't press it.

As a result of not having contact with his wife, Anakin wasn't there to help her get ready. Her things were already packed. She'd sorted through all three suitcases to pull out anything she didn't want. Obi-Wan hadn't seem surprised when he'd carted away the rejects, so Anakin assumed the little black number had been subtly shoved into the suitcase and none were the wiser. He was sure Padmé still had a fire in her… somewhere.

When the suitcases were packed to Padmé's specifications, Obi-Wan was there to help her get other things together. Baby things, for example, which he brought to her from the donation center in the Temple's nursery. Nothing too fancy, just the essentials, such as blankets and reusable diapers, which no one dared use in the Jedi Temple, but which Padmé thought would be quite useful in their current predicament. And then an entire cargo container filled with food, which Anakin protested against when he found out, since he'd stocked the _Glacial Skies_ galley to overflowing. Padmé insisted it was necessary, and when Obi-Wan listed the type of food which was stored in that cargo container, Anakin nearly retched, but agreed that it probably would be necessary.

Then Anakin and Obi-Wan had picked up the bags and carried them to the speeder Anakin had borrowed from the transportation office. This one was larger than his personal speeder, with plenty of room for passengers, and there they stowed Padmé's luggage. It was a tight fit, regardless of how much the speeder claimed to hold, and Anakin was thankful there was a roof over top.

Then Ahsoka was there, lugging one bag of all her things, and this she threw in on top of everything else. She gazed at the expanse of luggage that belonged to Padmé, then turned a puzzled look in Anakin's direction, to which he replied with a roll of his eyes. He wasn't going to say Padmé was crazy. She might be, but she was his, and he didn't say that sort of stuff about things that belonged to him.

"Come on, Snips, we'd better get going," he said then, pushing himself off from where he'd been leaning on the speeder, then shot his next comment over his shoulder to Obi-Wan. "We'll be back in an hour. If not, send the posse after us."

"Don't think I won't," warned Obi-Wan, and Anakin was surprised to see his old Master looking quite grim about the entire situation.

"We'll be fine, Master," he said calmly. "Don't worry." Then they were off.

At the spaceport, R2 was waiting for them. He'd gone over the ship for the bazillionth time and maintained that the vessel was stable. To which Anakin had no reply, for he _knew_ the vessel was stable. But he didn't say anything, because R2 was bright, and that matter couldn't be debated.

Not that the same could be said for C-3P0. The protocol droid had his uses, and was intelligent in his own way, but not in regard to when to shut up. Which was why he was stuck in a back room on the _Glacial Skies_, powered down until further notice. R2 made some mention of powering him up to enforce slave labor, but Anakin adamantly refused. It would be heartening, but it wouldn't shut down the chatter.

With Ahsoka's help, Anakin was able to get all the luggage on board and stowed away. When it was to his specifications, he threw Ahsoka the keys to the speeder and told her to pick up Lux. All things considered, the boy would have been released, but Anakin doubted that issue, though the records had stated as much, and gave Ahsoka permission to break him out if there was no other way. It wasn't that he liked the boy overly much, but the kid had brains, and if he didn't try to help him, he was sure Padmé would be after him. Lux's mother had been Padmé's mentor growing up. There was some sort of connection thing there.

Once Ahsoka was gone, Anakin returned to the cockpit and started the warm-up process, his actions becoming more nervous as time went on. The more they stayed in one place, the more he got the feeling something was going to happen. His senses told him everything was fine, but for a man like Anakin Skywalker, staying in one place for too long doesn't help anything.

When Ahsoka arrived at the hospital, it was just as Anakin had warned her. The hospital staff had not been given orders to release Lux Bonteri, and were not going to, under any circumstance. Ahsoka didn't dare argue with them, for fear of attracting attention. They had their orders. But so did she.

Up to Lux's room she went, and found the young Senator drumming his fingers impatiently. He'd somehow gotten back his clothes, charred and bloody, and had slipped them on under his hospital tunic. He didn't look any better, but there was a light in his eyes that looked just like the one that so often appeared in Anakn's eyes. The one that said, "If you don't get me out of her now, I don't know what I'll do, but it'll be _something_."

Ahsoka liked that. And she'd expected no less.

"Alright, Lux, they're not letting you out, but you're leaving anyway. Ready?"

"Do you have to ask?"

That was all she needed.

"Alright, then, but we'll have to be quiet."

Lux nodded and tore off his hospital tunic before following her out of his room and into the hall. They made for the nearest elevator and managed to take it all the way down with only two intrusions. The first they circumnavigated by grabbing each other and kissing so violently that the people needing to get on the elevator decided to take the next one. But then they were both so grossed out that when the second intrusion came, Ahsoka did the next best thing, and that was knock out the intruders by slamming them into the wall. It felt _almost_ as good.

Then they were on the ground floor, and when the elevator opened, to Ahsoka's relief, they were in an empty hallway. She grabbed Lux's hand and half pulled him to a small hallway off the larger one, which had an exit door at the end. The door was locked, but with a bit of Force manipulation, Ahsoka was able to unlock it and disable the alarm that would sound when the door opened. It worked, and no one knew when the two of them slipped out.

From there, it was easy work. No one followed them, a matter which Ahsoka was quite pleased about. They were able to navigate the streets of Coruscant without being stopped by officials. And when they arrived back at the Jedi Temple, Ahsoka was pleased to see the _Glacial Skies_ already docked on a retractable landing pad, Anakin lounging at the bottom of the boarding ramp.

There was no one in sight when Ahsoka landed the speeder and Lux slipped out. Anakin managed a single nod before the boy was bounding up the ramp and into the ship. They didn't need questions from the Council. Then Ahsoka was flying the speeder back into the hanger to be turned over to the navigation office and Obi-Wan was escorting Padmé out to the _Glacial Skies_, the other two Jedi Master's in tow. Master Windu looked just as grim as usual, but Master Yoda had a knowing look on his face which either was meant to unsettle Anakin or convince him that all was well.

Padmé was gracious as always. She thanked both Jedi Masters, then gave Obi-Wan a hug and thanked him as well. Ahsoka came running up then, and shot her farewells in the direction of the Masters even as she ran past them. Master Windu scowled, but Obi-Wan was used to the fast-paced life Anakin had raised his Padawan in, and only smiled.

"Be sure to keep your mind open to your surroundings, Ahsoka," he called after her. "_And_ don't eat anything that doesn't look natural."

"I know, I know," yelled back Ahsoka. "Nothing that's purple, pink or sickly orange. And keep an eye on Anakin, too, because he's liable to loose his mind if he doesn't have something to do. I _know_, Master Obi-Wan, and I will, I promise…"

Then Obi-Wan laughed and the boarding ramp lifted, cutting off his sight of Ahsoka. He immediately grew grim. He wasn't sure what type of adventure Anakin and Ahsoka were setting out on. He knew it would be good for both of them, but he was afraid. More afraid than all those times he'd given them assignments into war zones. This time, they didn't know _what_ to expect, and that was where the fear came in.

"Fear, you must not," said Yoda at his side. "Safe, they will be, so long as Skywalker, in charge he is."

"I know, Master Yoda," sighed Obi-Wan. "But I fear for him."

"As do we all, Obi-Wan. But trust him, we must. Trust him, we will."

Then Obi-Wan nodded and forced himself to turn away as the _Glacial Skies_ lifted into the air surrounding the Temple. Anakin and Ahsoka were on board, with a pregnant Senator, and unbeknownst to the Jedi Masters, a former Separatist diplomat.

This was going to be interesting.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note**

****So much time has gone by! It's been nearly nine months since I said goodbye to trinity6diversia. It's been more definite than other attempts to pull myself away. This little thing called "real life" got in the way, complete with my own set of romance, heartbreak, and any great amount of pain and success. But tonight, I decided to go back to this part of me that's always been my way of venting and inspiring. I needed to write, and what these fanfics have always allowed me to do, is get that need out in the open. Hence this quick little update.

So what's happened to me? Quite a lot, actually. I have been working in management jobs for the past several months, leading the operations of an important program which left me with an injury that, of all things, impaired my ability to write or type for a number of weeks. My adventures throughout the course of these past nine months have inspired many great tales, and have also given me a lack of inspiration for my fanfics... until now. As my injury is nearly healed at this point, my writing is back on track.

I am, in addition, very excited for the news of Star Wars Episode VII, and very disappointed that no good Clone Wars episodes have been released in well over a month. These droid episodes drive me insane. Perhaps when the Anakin/Padme episode comes along, I will be further inspired to update my fanfics.

I cannot say if this is the start of anything. I may start updating my fanfictions at every turn, but i would not hold out hope for that. For now, enjoy this small portion of my inspiration.

Take care, everyone, and remember to always "do what you like and like what you do". It's not worthwhile otherwise. :)

trinity6diversia

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

The _Glacial Skies_ couldn't have been considered "modern" in any form of the word. Some of the technology proceeded Anakin's knowledge, and of course, Anakin Skywalker was the boy that used to horde chunks of pod-racer to make his own. He _knew_ odd technology. And even so, the _Glacial Skies_ was kicking his butt at every turn. Within ten minutes of take-off, Anakin was gritting his teeth and swearing under his breath.

Padmé had retired early to the crew quarters in the hull of the ship. It was cramped down there, but more comfortable than sleeping in the lounge. And she was tired. After a long sleep the night before, she still woke up feeling like she'd run a marathon in record time. The morning sickness didn't help, and that had hit her within the week, no doubt brought on by the assassination attempts she had survived. The excuse she gave Master Yoda and Mace Windu was related to such a reason, and they'd taken it, having no reason themselves to doubt her.

Anakin knew better, but he also knew better than to worry his head off about it. In the presence of his Jedi Masters, he was as supportive as was necessary. He never exceeded Obi-Wan in regards to how much attention he gave Padmé. As long as he stood just a bit further away than Obi-Wan, he was good. It kept his position more neutral than otherwise, and Padmé knew not to question his motives.

It continued now. Ahsoka and Lux couldn't know about him and Padmé. And so Anakin gave them no room to suspect.

When Padmé had retired to the hull in an attempt to find an element of emotional rest, Anakin had remained in the cockpit, trying to get the upper hand over his ship. If he let his mind wander, he would find himself longing to be down with Padmé, holding her, kissing her, comforting her. And then he would remember where he was, _who_ he was, and what he was doing… and all those fantasies would evaporate, as if they hadn't existed in the first place.

Ahsoka remained in the cockpit to help Anakin, while Lux retired to the lounge to rest up, it being no easy task breaking out of a hospital in the condition he was. The fact that he was probably playing hardcore space chess with Threepio was a reality that hadn't quite escaped Anakin, but he could care less about the kid just so long as he stayed out of his way.

"Master?"

Ahsoka flopped down in the co-pilot seat with a dramatic sigh, causing Anakin to glance at her once before returning to his database scouring.

"Hmm?"

"What's your thing with Lux?"

"Thing? I thought you were the one with the _thing_."

"You know what I mean."

"Do I?"

Ahsoka shook her head and sighed again. "I'm starting to understand what Padmé means when she gets on your case. You can't just fly straight, can you? Beat around the bush. Run in circles. Deviate. I just want an honest answer, and you're sitting here trying to put my words back on me. Can't you just _talk_ to me sometime?!"

And then Ahsoka was on her feet, stomping out of the cockpit and pounding the keypad to close the door with an intensity Anakin had never really seen from her. In battle, yes, and it wasn't common to have annoyance off the front lines, but this was pure emotion, a thing Ahsoka was always very good at hiding.

If it was one thing Anakin had learned from being married to Padmé, it was that women live on emotion. Emotion is what made life work for them. It's what allows them to vent, relate, romance. Goodness knows it gave Anakin more than one surprise in his life, either for better or for worse. Clearly, her current condition was the result of emotion, in one way or another. Pure devotion and utter longing, perhaps, but emotion nonetheless. And as a result, Anakin felt like he was still a step ahead, even now.

Slowly, Anakin stood up and stepped out of the cockpit and into the foyer of the ship, a small circular room with bright lights and seats along the walls, except where hallways led to other parts of the ship. Ahsoka sat on one of the benches, her knees brought up to her chin, her feet flat in front of her, and the tentacles on her head nearly touching the bench itself. Her chin rested on her knees as she stared ahead across the foyer, unblinking, even when Anakin emerged from the cockpit.

Without a word, Anakin walked over and sat down next to Ahsoka, leaning back against the wall and taking a deep breath, folding his hands in front of him, his long legs stretched out halfway across the foyer.

"I'm sorry, Snips. What is it you wanted to know?"

"It doesn't matter now, Master."

"It does to me." He paused. "Ahsoka." She glanced up when she heard him say her name. "It matters to me."

"I know, Master, just, sometimes you don't actually show it."

"Really? How about you stop calling me 'Master', okay? Anakin is my name, and it's less obvious in foreign places."

"Fine."

"Ahsoka."

"What?"

"Quit being hard-headed."

"I learned from the best."

Anakin didn't say anything in response. He took a deep breath and let it out long and slow, closing his eyes and concentrating his mind, like he always did before entering the Force.

"Sometimes I wonder, if I were ever to become a father, if I would be a good father."

This comment was unexpected, and needless to say, it caught Ahsoka off guard. She looked at him with perplexed eyes, and was surprised to see Anakin staring off into the distance, as if he didn't even belong there at that moment. There was a long few seconds of silence, then Ahsoka said in a soft, kind voice.

"You would be a good father, Anakin. I know it. You're like a father to me, sometimes, and just look how _I_ turned out."

"Yeah, lookee there. My 'daughter' won't even talk to me anymore."

Ahsoka laughed then, and quickly swiped the remaining tears out of her eyes, that had gathered there over a brief few seconds when she allowed them to. Anakin glanced at her, suddenly becoming grave again, and after a few tense seconds in which neither knew what to say, Ahsoka spoke again.

"So… Lux…"

"Ah, yeah, Lux."

Silence again, and Ahsoka glanced at Anakin out of the corner of her eye.

"He's a good kid, Ahsoka. Of course, I always think you can do better. Maybe I'm expecting you to go after someone more like me. Because I think you need that. But… if you like Lux, I guess you can't deny some things in life… and… wait! What am I doing?! You aren't even allowed to do this sort of stuff!"

"Really?" And Ahsoka's eyes were laughing. "You sure managed it fairly well."

"What?"

But Ahsoka was already on her feet, disappearing back into the cockpit, and for a moment, Anakin was fighting the impulse to go after her and demand a reason for her sass. Then he just had to smile, because she was like him in so many ways.

Lux was in the process of beating Threepio once more when Anakin popped into the lounge to check up on them. He was on his feet the instant the Jedi Knight walked in, and Anakin didn't even acknowledge him.

"Do me a favor and help Ahsoka at the controls, okay? I need that computer fixed so we can set the coordinates for our jump."

"The computer's gone haywire? I can fix that."

"Okay, then do it." A bit harsh, but, eh, whatever.

Then Anakin was making for the lift that would lead down into the hull, grimacing at the construction of the ship and hoping it would hold up through lightspeed. And as these thoughts circulated his mind, the doors opened and he found himself in the crew sleeping quarters, and Padmé was stretched out on one of the lower bunks, her arm curled up under her head, looking peaceful as she slept, at last.

Quietly, Anakin set the lock on the lift, to keep the others from intruding, then he slipped in beside Padmé and put an arm over her, grabbed her hand where it rested on the blankets. She stirred in her sleep, nestling closer to him as she came into partial awareness.

"Ani? What are you doing here?"

"Being with you, my love."

"What for?"

"You need it."

"What about…" But Anakin's finger was to her lips to silence her, and he was flitting little butterfly kisses all over her face, making her laugh under his loving touch. She knew he wasn't going to answer, and so she didn't press him.

"Goodnight, Padmé."

"Goodnight, Anakin." He closed his eyes and fell back against the pillow even as she spoke, and she lowered her voice to a whisper as she gazed at his exhausted face, finally revealing itself. "My dearest Ani."


End file.
